Benji Marshall has revealed the Wests Tigers under former coach Michael Potter told him he wasn't a part of the club's future before he made the choice to leave for rugby union.

Marshall starred in his first game back for the Tigers in Saturday's upset win over the Sydney Roosters, his first game for the club since leaving for Super Rugby club the Auckland Blues at the end of 2013.

It was originally understood Marshall's departure came about following a contract dispute over a potential extension at the club, but the playmaker revealed on Sunday he was left unwanted by the Tigers' previous administration.

"At the time Mick Potter was the coach and the club said to me that I wasn't going to be in the plans for the future," Marshall told Triple M NRL.

"It's hard for me to be somewhere where I don't feel wanted and I just wasn't feeling that.

"Obviously at the time I didn't want to go to another NRL club because my heart was with the Tigers so that's why I ended up going to rugby union."

Marshall is one of just four players to have played more than 200 games for the merged club, and is still the most famous player to have turned out for franchise.

His latest signature already looks likely to pay off, with regular five-eighth Josh Reynolds expected to be out for up to a month with a hamstring injury.

Regardless, Marshall said Potter's decision had worked in his favour as it had since prolonged his career.

"It's not something I regret because if I didn't leave I probably would have retired a lot earlier from getting too comfortable there and a bit complacent and just feeling a bit lost the last couple of years there," he said.

"I was able to find a bit of myself again, the reasons why I play footy, enjoying the game.

"When something gets taken away from you and it gets given back you appreciate it a bit more."

Mayer had a hand in that too - as I recall. Benji wanted an upgrade in his contract that the club was not prepared to meet.
Shut it down Benji wont do yourself any favours by rehashing this stuff. Some fans were just starting to like you again -zip it.

And when Farah eventually comes back the headline will be exactly the same: I was unwanted by Jason Taylor! and we will all whinge in unison. And when Potter comes back the headline will be: I was unwanted by Farah!

Malcolm Knox: What has happened this week is a pity for the Tigers, a pity for Jason Taylor and a pity for Robbie Farah, who had achieved more than the Big Four put together but was somehow turned into collateral damage. (SMH 25-26 March, 2017)

Just so you guys know this was baited out of him in a couple of interviews and one of them was by Hooper on MMM the drop kick. Benji didn't just start talking about it, it was very targeted and a small part of the interview.

Just so you guys know this was baited out of him in a couple of interviews and one of them was by Hooper on MMM the drop kick. Benji didn't just start talking about it, it was very targeted and a small part of the interview.

Fair enough, but rehashing that kind of thing does no-one any good, except for the tabloids. For mine, he'd be better served by brushing the question aside and talking about what's happening now.

Just so you guys know this was baited out of him in a couple of interviews and one of them was by Hooper on MMM the drop kick. Benji didn't just start talking about it, it was very targeted and a small part of the interview.

Fair enough, but rehashing that kind of thing does no-one any good, except for the tabloids. For mine, he'd be better served by brushing the question aside and talking about what's happening now.

And when Farah eventually comes back the headline will be exactly the same: I was unwanted by Jason Taylor! and we will all whinge in unison. And when Potter comes back the headline will be: I was unwanted by Farah!